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thehorticulturist · 6 years

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Urban Legends - A portrait of The Flower Appreciation Society

The Flower Appreciation Society, 2018

In the midst of the buzzing city of London, there are two thriving creatives that found each other pulling pints in a pub.

With clients such as “Soho House” and “Liberty London” they have made their way in the floral world, promoting sustainability and British grown flowers through their own little urban plot where they can grow “homemade jewels” to add to their intricate designs.

They are amongst the best florists in London, as officially declared not only by their very pleased clients but by magazines such as Vogue.

The Flower Appreciation Society, 2018

Anna Day and Ellie Jauncey are “The Flower Appreciation Society” based in Hackney and with their creative backgrounds in textiles and illustration they make their floral magic soar.

I had the pleasure to meet both of them, visiting their beautiful studio space and ask a few questions:

The Flower Appreciation Society, 2018

Have you always had a connection to Horticulture?

Yes ist very much in my family. My mother is a florist, my Grandmother was a wonderful gardener and my Great Grandmother was also a florist.

Having met working together in a pub, how did you turn towards florals?

At that time we didn’t know anyone else our age who were florists so we had lots in common from the moment we met! We asked the landlady if we could do weekly flowers in the pub and it all started from there.

How do your backgrounds in Illustration and Textile Design feed into your work as a floral duo?

We use Anna’s illustration background all the time. She designs all of our branding and illustrated our book. My love of colour is what feeds into our flowers directly from my textile background.

After working together for so long, how would you both describe your style?

We like to let the flowers speak for themselves and want them to look as if they have just been picked from the garden.

What made you choose to grow British flowers for your creations?

We wanted to do our bit for the environment, cutting down on our use of imported flowers and growing flowers which attract lots of bees and insects. We also love gardening and felt so excited at the thought of actually growing our own and being able to choose what we grew.

What is your favourite part in growing things for your work?

The thrill of putting a tiny seed into a pot with compost and seeing a seedling grow. We can’t quite believe it’s happening every time we do it!Also being able to grow extra special flowers which you can’t buy at the market. Adding that “creme brûlée” phlox or “Fata Morgana” scabious which completely changes the feel of the whole arrangement – It’s such a joy.

How does it work farm flowers in an urban environment?

We are lucky as we have a very protected garden which is south facing and has good soils so things seem to want to grow. The issues we have i’m sure tare he same as other growers which is having enough time to spend in the garden!

What was a highlight in your floral career?

Making our book.

What made you choose to write a book about all things floral?

We were approached by an agent and once we had the book deal we knew we wanted to share all of our flowery knowledge. An A-Z seemed like the best way to do that. It allowed us to include random bits like X is for Xylem which explains how the water travels around the plant.

What are your plans for the coming seasons?

Lots and lots more workshops and growing!

Will you teach longer workshops or retreats?

We have just launched a 3 day intensive workshop which is at our studio and we have a number of collaborative workshops coming up with other amazing florists from around the country. Watch this space!

What advice would you give a young Horticulturist?

It’s hard work but so rewarding. Very early mornings and long days but you get to work with a medium which is already so beautiful. Do it because you love it!

The Flower Appreciation Society, 2018

Ellie and Anna continue their wonderful floral young in the buzzing city of London - one arrangement a day.

If you want to find out more about Ellie and Anna have a look at their homepage at:

https://www.theflowerappreciationsociety.co.uk

or follow them on their journey on their social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowersociety/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/flowersociety

Cant get enough?

Then buy their “An A to Z of all things floral”- Book at:

https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Appreciation-Society-Things-Floral/dp/0751557714

The Flower Appreciation Society, 2018

#theflowerappreciationsociety #thehorticulturist #underthefloralspell

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thehorticulturist · 6 years

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The refreshing Oxymoron - A Portrait of Jennie Beal

Conrad, 2018

Tucked away in a quaint little village outside of Stamford there is a new floral designer at work. With finishing her new studio she is charming her way into the locals hearts with her wild and edgy looks. In a nutshell it is floristry deconstructed:

Conrad, 2018

 Jennie Beal is the creative force behind “Quintessentially Wild” creating floral bouquets and arrangements for weddings events and special occasions.  At the moment you can find her creations at “The Stamford Deli”.

 I had the pleasure of visiting her brand mew studio, creating alongside her and take photographs of the new amazing space she has just curated:

Conrad, 2018

“Have you ever had a connection to Horticulture or Nature?”

Sort of: I have quite a stressful professional life and i was told that i need to find a way to relax so i took up sport as in swimming, cycling and running the year before last. I got so into it and fell in love with it and ended up doing three triathlons. I was in the middle of the Thames asking myself “what am i doing”.  It´s not the peaceful release that i needed to counteract my stressful professional life.

I was thinking about things that i can do at home and bought a book written by the “Bloomsbury Florists” , that create the flowers for the “Royal Opera House” and there was just this magic and peace about it.  I cook and I bake but nothing feels like this: There was something inside me that sparked.  And then last year i grew my own seeds and potted up some Dahlia tubers and it absolutely fascinated me.  In the end I had quite the Dahlia collection in my garden.

One of the other reasons I bought the book in the first place was my personal challenge I set up: 40 things before 40: The week I started flower arranging was supposed to go to “Silverstone”, race-car driving.  That was cancelled because of the weather.  It could have gone either way: Me being a professional Formula1- driver or a floral stylist.  Between that and the arranging it created this peaceful space for me.

After attending workshops with many creative and inspiring florists I ended up going to a masterclass by Katie Davis in London realised even more that it´s something I need to express within myself. /

“ How would you describe your style of Floristry?”

I would describe them as Quintessentially Wild! /

“ Where does your Inspiration come from?”

Music, for sure! Depending to what I am listening to it is usually reflected in what I do. During valentines day preparations I tried listening to love songs and it just didn't feel right, so i started listening to breakup-music and that´s when the magic and the unexpected happened. That´s when my most popular bouquet happened!

Architecture also plays a big part in my inspiration of example the regency style architecture in London:  It´s opulence just amazes me but also the contrast to living in the countryside with natures landscape!  The love of both, the buzz of city and the rural quiet of the country is what brings me joy and inspiration. /

Why “Quintessentially Wild” ?

The reason I came up with Quintessential Wild was: My flowers are wild quite frankly.  They are crazy, they are wild there is nothing traditional about them.

“Quintessentially” also means perfect and classic and “Wild” is obviously wild: You can´t have anything perfect and wild - It is an oxymoron. Thats why I liked it because it illustrated the craziness of my flowers whilst also trying to be perfect.   I won´t create anything for a bride for example that I would want at my own wedding and I like that my style is completely different what is on the market.  /

Where do you want to take your Floral Styling?

I don´t know is the honest answer, it is happening in it´s own way and it´s snowballing itself and taking it in it´s own direction. I never thought that I would be offering 1-2-1 workshops until someone recently approached me asking for one! It blew my mind! I'm now very excited to be developing this further and plan to hold more 1-2-1 sessions, plus group workshops later in the year.

Eventually I would love to see the Quintessentially Wild brand expanding from the floral and styling side of weddings and events to masterminding, planning and executing entire events from start to finish, so to provide the entire Quintessentially Wild experience for future clients. I would love to create the ideal event in all its depths through the brand. I'm also very excited to be working on Quintessentially Wild Home, where I can share my love of styling by setting up an E-Shop on quintessentiallyWild.com This will include carefully curated and personally sourced interesting interior bits and bobs so that you can recreate the entire Quintessentially Wild look in your own home.

“What has been the best experience in your floral career so far?”

When I made my first sale at The Stamford Deli: I couldn't believe someone would by my creation as I just put it in for display. We sold dozens and dozens of wreaths, it was absolutely astounding!  The approach for doing 1-2-1 workshops. That was a brilliant moment for me.

But  I guess the Katie Workshop (aka Ponderosa and Thyme) was the best thing I have ever done in my life.  Because it was so intense and inspirational on many different levels it gave me confidence in my florals and me as a person wanting to follow my dreams!

Apart from that, probably the first day my first Dahlia started to bloom!  I can work with cut flowers but going them is a whole other story so i was enchanted. /

“How important are British grown flowers for designing?”

Very! Late last summer I discovered “The Flowers From the Farm” website and I emailed local growers around me. I found a grower, me any my husband went down there and bought the biggest bucket of Dahlia you can imagine - they lasted for weeks!  

I am very much looking forward to summer to be using a lot of British grown florals, but whenever I do get something form overseas I carbon-offset. I think it is very important and there is an element of me that does like supporting oversea growers as well as it is their main source of income.  Obviously research goes into it to making sure the farmers aren´t exploited.

I would like to have Quintessentially Wild going 90% British in the next decade! /

“ What are your favourite floral combinations for 2018?”

Everything seems to be based around pink for me but if i had to predict for summer there is going to be two combinations one is a lot of dark gothic tones, very dark reds,maroons and purples.  On the other side i do believe blue is going to become a trend for me: I am a big fan of Oxypetalum this year! /

“ How do you think flowers and floral styling can influence people?”

Well, the influence me massively: The brought me to life.  They can bring happiness to people, empowering them, lifting them up!  Flowers can bring a smile to their faces and that is the whole point of them. The beauty of it and the joy of giving something so beautiful, and as a quote says on my homepage:  “Flowers are a fleeting beauty, to beholden for all occasions, or sometimes, simply for no occasion at all.” /

And as she is arranging away in her new studio in Stamford we are excited to see her journey, one Quintessentially Wild creation at a time.

Conrad, 2018

If you want to find out more about her you can visit her website at:  https://www.quintessentiallywild.com

 Or get a glimpse of her magical creations on her social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quintessentiallywild/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quintessentiallywild/  

and Twitter: https://twitter.com/q_wild_stamford 

Conrad, 2018

#quintessentiallywild #thehorticuturist #visionary #boldandbright #saturateddreams

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thehorticulturist · 6 years

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Creating the Wild - A Portrait of Fiona Pickles

Fiona Pickles, 2018

The wilderness and purity of nature has captured many artists in the past decades, translating their dreams and passions into paintings, sculptures, whole movements of greenery and floristry.

Creating wild and seasonal moments of astonishment and taking our breaths away with just a pinch of lightness has become a speciality of Fiona Pickles, based in Yorkshire.

Fiona Pickles, 2018

Utilising her skills, through being trained in print into imagining wild and fantastic floral artwork of intricate colour compositions made her one of the top 20 creative florists in the country. Fiona Pickles build up her reputation through hard work and passion in an age without social media and she did it with bringing more of nature into our homes.

I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions about her career and her passion:

Fiona Pickles, 2018

“What developed your unique style of floristry, besides your skills learned in fine art print?”

My style of floristry comes very much from my passion for gardening, its also where I gained my understanding of unusual flowers, plants and seasonality.

I started gardening when we moved into our first house and have been obsessed ever since. Ironically, leaving employment to set up my own business meant I ended up spending a lot less time in the garden, weddings having taken over, but a few years ago I made a conscious decision to redress the balance and i feel now i am in the wonderful position of linking my business to my horticultural passion. /

“Is there an anecdote or short story that led you to choosing your grandmothers name, was she as inspired by seasonality and nature as you are?“

When i started the business I spent months trying to settle on a name and ran through all sorts of options. I quickly ruled out using my own name, rather negatively, in case of future problems.

I considered elvish type names from Lord of the Rings ( I fell in love with Legolas the Elf reading The Hobbit in my youth, their link to nature and everything they stand for really resonates with me) and I also have had a life long love of the moon and considered incorporating that somehow.

Eventually I decided to keep it personal and name it after a family member and being close to my maternal grandmother Florence (known as Flo), so i settled on that. I just liked the “Z” in the italian derivative of her name. Nana wasn’t really a gardener, or florist, but she was very creative, a keen dressmaker, cook and sweet maker, which I’m afraid I haven’t inherited!

“Having created your business pre social-media, what was it like to establish yourself as a top wedding florist and floral designer? “

Starting out in 2005, before social media and not having a shop was hard, very hard. I regularly attended networking events in the vague hope of meeting maybe one person who might need some flowers.

Each meeting meant at least an hours round trip, plus a couple of hours at the event itself so was at least half a day, often a full day. So, my advice to everyone in our sort of business is now to embrace the immediacy and ease of social media to market your business to a targeted audience, I would have killed for that sort of opportunity when I was starting out.

A good Instagram account is easy to set up, is free and with a bit of practice and understanding how it works you can build up a large following of like minded people very quickly who you can then sell to relatively easily. /

“What advice would you give a young Horticulturist”?

Follow your heart and don’t feel pressured to go down a certain route for whatever reason, I did and I wonder how different things might have been if I had truly followed my heart back in the early years of the business:

For my first ever photo shoot I created a bouquet and a buttonhole made entirely from flowers I picked from the garden, all honeysuckle, herbs and roses, this reflected me and everything i loved but afterwards I worried that others would look at my work and think I was ‘playing at it’ or ‘didn’t have access to ‘proper’ flowers so i moved away from this direction and followed a more ‘conventional’ path. This thought of mine of course was ridiculous but it shows how your mind can play tricks on you and make you take a wrong route. I feel I have come back to that place now and have learned an amazing amount on the way so it probably all worked out for the best in the end!

Look after your back! Years of standing up, working on weddings and pushing myself way beyond tiredness instead of resting has taken it’s toll on my back and it now means I struggle to stand up for any length of time (a familiar tale to most, if not all, florists I suspect) .Ironically I find a good digging session in the garden easier on my back that just standing still at my workbench.

“After creating a successful business and being one of the Top 20 creative florists in the country as well as being featured in Vogue do you have any future plans and dreams you would like to realise? “

I guess there are always things I would love to achieve, some modest and ‘doable’ some (one in particular!) ridiculously over ambitious and highly unlikely to ever come off (it’s so ridiculous I wouldn’t have the audacity to breathe it out loud, but if it ever happens I will be the first to share it with you!!!).

The thing I think I love the most is travelling around the country , seeing new places and meeting new, like-minded people - my favourite part of weddings was (and still is) setting up day - heading off to often unknown places, down tiny country lanes, over dramatic hills or even just down the motorway - I get a huge rush of excitement and anticipation. My future plans will possibly/probably extend this to travelling abroad - maybe for overseas workshops or collaborations, I remain open minded and just relish the opportunity to get a kick out of doing something I love.

With a new year beginning and a new floral season slowly starting to emerge, we are looking forward to new magical creations and stories from Fiona Pickles. One pinch of nature at a time.

Fiona Pickles, 2018

If you would like to find out more about Fiona and her business then follow the link to her website:

http://www.firenzafloraldesign.co.uk

Or follow her and her creations on social media.

Instagram: @firenzaflowers

Twitter: @firenzaflowers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirenzaFlowers/

and

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/FirenzaFlowers/

Fiona Pickles, 2018

#thehorticulturist #fionapickles #top20florists #voguemagazine #seasonality #flowersfromthefarm #sustainbility #artist

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thehorticulturist · 6 years

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Growing People - A portrait of Lucy Otto

Sebastian Conrad, 2017: The Fold

The value of biodiversity amongst sustainable growers and small farms has gained new weight in the light of climate change throughout the past years.  Feeding and treasuring the soil is a movement towards a more environmentally friendly system of growing produce.

 If these ideas and values are combined with therapeutic horticulture and a focus on the complete ecology that exists in nature, unity and harmony can exist.

  And so it does on a small care farm located in the heart of Worcestershire:

Sebastian Conrad, 2017 : The Fold

The care farm run by Lucy Otto is part of a space for diversity called “The Fold”.  Here, amongst a natural therapy centre and artisan studios a cafe and a farm shop are part of a diverse and sustainable space with organic food and produce provided by Lucy and her team.

But not only growing food and taking care of the nature is important at the farm but also the therapeutic value that is created through incorporating people facing mental health challenges, social exclusion or learning difficulties to build confidence, independence and other skills whilst being included in the farm activities.

As i visited the farm i had the pleasure of asking Lucy a few questions about the farm and its unique space within horticulture.  

Sebastian Conrad, 2017: The Fold

“Have you always had a connection to Horticulture? ”  No.Well I say no but my mom grew a few tomatoes the back-garden.  But then from the age since i left home at 17 to 27 i had no connection with horticulture at all.  I didn’t. I never touched the soil.

“What made you decide to go into Horticulture?”  

I was living in the city working in hospital driving a car from my house to hospital being in offices and wards all day and i got really bored of it so i knew i needed to change something but i didn't know what it was. I applied to go and do therapy work in Vietnam with “VSO” (Voluntary Services Oversees). They sent me to Vietnam for just over a year and i was living in a really rural area, like totally rural.

I made friends with the families that i was working with and they would invite me to go stay with them and eat their food and so i became part of the village and witnessed 4-year olds knowing everything in the garden, knowing how to take the water bottle out to the rice plants and little kids would know every herb and they would fetch them for their moms and i was like: “Wow i am here as an expert with a degree and a laptop and actually these kids are a lot smarter than i am and every person build their own house and grows their own food.”

It was around the same time there was a massive blizzard here in the UK with loads of snow and everyone was panicking and i was speaking to my mom overlooking the news,and there were queues at the supermarket for miles and i realised: “We think we had progress, but we do not know how to look after ourselves fundamentally, how to plant things and grow them and for example in Vietnam, if there was a massive crisis they would just carry on feeing themselves, they wouldn't notice!”

The i came back and applied for an apprenticeship on an organic farm and never looked back.

“What made you come to the care farm at the fold?”

I finished my apprenticeship and it was a total coincidence: One of the landowners gave me lift one day down to Devon and i was telling her about learning how to farm and she mentioned having a big farmland needing someone to run it and it just worked out really nicely!

 “What advice would you give a young horticulturist?”

  Everything you do, try and do it in a way that your great great grandchildren can do it too. By that i mean just taking care of the soil and being sustainable. If we for example got a finite resource, do not use it all up because that is selfish.

And only do things you love doing. If you want to grow veg, grow the ones you like eating. If you want to grow flowers, grow the ones you think are beautiful.  Put your passion in it and then it works out.

“What is you goal here at the fold?”

  Producing lots of good food for local people and to provide access to the magical world that is horticulture to people who wouldn't ordinarily get access to for various reasons of social exclusion or deprivation, mental health issues or their normal lifestyle.

   “Which part of your job excites you the most?”

The times i step out of myself and think what we are doing is really magical is, when there is total diversity of people working together all completely engaged and enjoying the activity. Wether its someone blind or someone at the age of 80, someone from Japan and someone who is 17, or someone who had health problems. That what I get the most from.

“What was the biggest lesson you learnt here at the care farm?”

I learned so many lessons: But one thing i really learned is negotiating around using someone else's land. I cant afford to buy land on my own so i and my team are using land that belongs to someone else and he is really generous. I guess i learned the business skills, being assertive and also humble: For example creating a business plan convincing him that i knew what i was doing. And also respecting his land and knowing my place within.

“How can people support you and the fold care farm?” 

I would say the main thing that anyone can do to support local sustainable horticulture project is to buy their products and food.  All of them will try to make it as affordable as possible so if you have the option to support them by buying their things. It´s only slightly more expensive and it tastes amazing!

“How do you think does brexit affect horticulture and the way we see horticulture?”

I personally voted to remain. Because i believe in trying to create systems that are good and equal for all people and the environment.  However i do think that some of the system within the EU were promoting a highly industrialised model of farming and finance: Supermarkets with low price production and cheap food.

I do feel like Brexit is an opportunity for the UK to create systems which are more healthier! For workers and the environment and it is a change to promote and support smaller more diverse farms. More people rather than more tractors, so more engaging work. It might create a better market to sell organic foods to supermarkets as well.

Even though the season is coming to an end and the days might slow down, Lucy and her team are still buzzing with energy, growing food and inspiring people.

One Day at a time.

❁

Sebastian Conrad, 2017: The Fold

    More about Lucy and “The Fold” can be found here :

http://www.thefold.org.uk

More insight into the fold can be found here:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PX7747x_pw&t=86s

For stories and images about their daily life check out their social media:   

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoldbransford/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFoldBransford

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheFoldCIC   

Lucy Otto, 2017: The Fold Farm

#thehorticulturist #horticulture #lifestyle #carefarm #organic #soil #sustainable #ecologia #ecology #worcestershire #uk #inspirational

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thehorticulturist · 7 years

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Flower Enthusiasm - a Portrait of Hannah Walker

Emma Case, 2017: Bridal Bouquet

“Seasonality” and “Sustainability” is a trend that has been around for quite some time now and more and more people arrange their life around these two powerful words.

But the latest movement of growing and working with british grown plants, produce and flowers has set many interesting career paths for plant enthusiasts, horticulturists and of course floral designers :

Sam Jayne, 2017: Hannah Walker

Hannah Walker, based in Worcestershire is all of the above. 

As floral designer and founder of “Bride and Bloom” her philosophy is based around sourcing flowers for weddings locally and seasonally.

Each bloom hand-cut a few days before the bride´s big day, therefore offering not only “unique one-off” arrangements that are fuelled with Hannah´s enthusiasm for wild and natural looking wedding flowers, but also a brilliant bespoke customer service that charms with personality and individualism.

Having moved from London to Worcester in 2014, it struck Hannah how she’d missed the countryside and the ability grow and nurture a garden. Therefore her decision to source local British flowers in her work was immediate.  And so she works with several local growers in Worcestershire such as Tammy at “Wild Bunch Flowers” or Faye at “Rural Floral”, just to name a few.

Whilst growing as a business and conquering Worcestershire with her wild and natural  arrangements she plans on growing more of her own, investing in plants for pollinators to help the bee and butterfly population and to be able to add more unusual plants in her arrangements and floral designs.

I had the pleasure of asking Hannah a few Questions about her business and her passion. 

Sam Jayne, 2017 : Hannah Walker

 “What made you choose Floristry as your Path?”

Having married in 2011 and DIY- ing my own wedding flowers it sowed a seed to learn more about floristry.  My background is in the Fashion industry working as an account manager and although I loved it I definitely needed a creative outlet. When I fell pregnant in 2012 I embarked upon some floristry courses in London and I haven’t looked back. That said the major shift for me was deciding to use British flowers and foliages as much as I cold in my work. They’ve got their own character and those wonky stems have really influenced my style. 

“Have you always had a connection to Horticulture?”

Yes, from an early age on.  I have lots of childhood memories of playing outside and enjoying nature, making daisy chains, digging for worms and helping out in the garden. /

“Your designs are very wild and enchanting so where does your inspiration come from?”

 I’m inspired by all sorts of things: design, art, architecture and flowers themselves.  I guess my designs happen in a very natural way. I don’t think I could ever make two bouquets the same even with the same “ingredients”.

“What is your favourite flower combination, and why?” 

Well - that’s a tricky one to answer: for me it just has to be a seasonal combination , so Ranunculus with a snakes head fritillary bobbing above it, or lilac and mock orange in may for heady scents.  Dahlias and cosmos in autumn.

“What was your Highlight in your career so far? “  

No glamourous awards or anything, yet.  But I was asked by “Flowers From The Farm” to be the subject of a short documentary film that they commissioned! The link for that can be found below.

“What advice would you give a young Horticulturist?” 

Be open to the many different avenues of horticulture, they all complement each other -  I would love to learn more about Garden Design! Also stay fit and active - it’s hard labour sometimes. 

“How do you think climate change will influence florists in the future?”

  I think we’ll have to be lot more savvy and reactive – I have a wedding end of October  and have been very vocal to my bride to explain that having all British flowers probably won´t be possible as ordinarily frosts would have kicked in by now but if this weather holds up I’ll be cutting dahlias and other gems at the end of Autumn!  It can go and will go against me in years to come though. I guess being flexible with what I might have to order but also helping to educate prospective clients about what’s realistic.

 And while the days get inherently shorter,  let´s hope that the weather will hold up until the end of October for Hannah to be able to create another perfect wedding with the perfect bouquet and arrangements.

One hand-cut flower at a time.

❁

Sam Jayne, 2017: Summer Bouquet

More of Hannah and her work can be found on:

http://brideandbloom.co

Be sure to catch her behind the scenes for a Photoshoot and for “The Flowers of the Farm”- Community here :

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaJHRWGDX1z/

Or why not follow Hannah and her story of flowers on Social Media:

   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRIDEANDBLOOMUK/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bride_and_bloom/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brideBLOOM   and Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/bridebloom/

Still Light Photography, 2017: Wedding

#brideandbloom #fftf #flowersfromthefarm #britishflowers #worcestershire #successtory #inspirational #wedding #floraldesign #floral #selfemployed

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thehorticulturist · 7 years

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The Eureka Moment - a Portrait of Charles Hudson

Delphiniums, The Real Flower Petal Company, 2017

Throwing rice at weddings is a tradition. Everybody loves the joy-laden moment of throwing rice at an unsuspecting couple as they walk out of the church with a spring in their step. It dates back hundreds of years yet nowadays it is frowned upon or even forbidden, for obvious reasons.  “Confetti” is the alternative to wish the newly wed couple prosperity, growth, happiness and good luck. Usually it is made out of paper in various bright colours to emphasise the joy that one´s wedding does bring:

But one man thought even further and brought to life a whole new family business :  Charles Hudson created The Real Flower Confetti Company twenty years ago, producing Flower Petal Confetti for international weddings and famous couples such as Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall.

The Real Flower Petal Company, 2017

On a late spring afternoon, twenty years ago, Charles happened to pause outside the village churchyard on his way home, and strewn around the lych-gate were tiny wet pieces of coloured paper, debris from an earlier wedding, that had turned the church entrance into an eyesore. Charles appreciated why so many churches ban the use of confetti within church grounds, but it seemed a shame that the wedding celebrations could not have started as the happy couple stepped out of the church. When he arrived home some petals fell from the flower bouquet Charles was carrying for his wife and he experienced a 'eureka' moment, that later on created the successful The Real Flower Petal Company. 

His family run business produces petals by the pint, about 20,000 each year, which come in many different mixes.  Delphiniums, Roses and Hydrangeas are the most common flowers that are grown for their biodegradable, natural petals, which are then handpicked and dried through sunlight and fresh air.

The flower fields are located on the family farm estate based around Wick in Worcestershire, inherited by Charles Hudson over 40 years ago and still run successfully.   I have had the pleasure of strolling through a magnificent field of flowering Delphiniums myself and to celebrate his 20th anniversary I was lucky to ask him a few questions about his career, the company and his success:

Charles Hudson, The Real Flower Petal Company, 2017

“After having your “Eureka-Moment” thinking about creating flower petal confetti - how did you start building your successful business?”

“It was a process of trial and error to find the right flowers and the best way to preserve them. Eventually we developed the processes we still use today. Then we had to sell the idea of flower petal confetti – it was a totally new concept! But it appealed to brides & grooms and to wedding venues because it’s natural, biodegradable and really very pretty! We started off selling mail order out of a spare bedroom and then the growth of internet shopping transformed the business and opened us up to a much wider audience.” / “Did you always have a connection to horticulture?”

“The Wyke Manor farm has been in my family for 250 years old, and I grew up on a dairy farm near Bath, but growing flowers is a new venture!” /

“Why Wick. Is there a particular reason for choosing your Location?”

“I inherited the farm here in Wick over 40 years ago and I have continued the tradition of arable farming. But, as I am sure you are aware, it’s a difficult business and diversification and creative thinking is needed. Growing flowers seemed like a natural side step – they are a crop that can be rotated with the barley and wheat.” /

“What is the variety of Delphinium that you grow and how did you come about choosing it?”

“The Latin name is Delphinium Ajacis. Quite simply the petals are perfect for confetti – they keep their shape and beautiful colour when dried and are light and floaty in the air.” /

“Are you thinking of expanding your business?”

“We are always looking for new ideas and ways to grow. The wedding market changes all the time so it is important to keep up with the trends and fashions. Ten years ago we decided to add different types of petals to our collection to offers customers more choice and this was a successful decision. It’s important to keep your eyes open for new opportunities.” /

“What advice would you give a young horticulturist?”

“Work hard and don’t give up on your ideas – put the time and effort in to perfect your business venture and then believe in yourself. It’s hard to be the first to try to do something new but it’s all the more rewarding when it succeeds!” /

“Are you collaborating with other growing sites, or do you use just the farm at Wick?”

“We buy in the rose and hydrangea petals from other growers within the UK.” /

“What was your Highlight in the last twenty years of growing flowers?”

“Probably supplying confetti petals for the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla! Three black limousines came and collected an order of Pale Pink Delphiniums and there was a picture in the paper the next day of Prince Harry throwing the confetti over his father! It took a little bit of digging but we did finally confirm they were our petals.” /

Now, twenty years after having his “Eureka” moment, Charles Hudson is looking forward, creating something new and original one petal at a time, like he created his own success story with belief, passion and persistence.

I congratulate him on his 20th anniversary and on creating something original, standing firmly behind it and even inspiring new upcoming horticulturists to do the same thing with hard work, persistence and believing in ones self.

One petal at a time.

The Real Flower Petal Company, 2017

If you need something special for a wedding or event, you can order his natural, biodegradable and beautiful flower confetti at: http://www.confettidirect.co.uk/index.html

The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company

Wyke Manor Wick Pershore Worcestershire WR10 3NZ

and if you don´t want to miss out on any news follow him and his success on social media: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realflowerpetalconfetti/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealFlowerPetalConfetti/

#therealflowerpetalconfetti charleshudson horticulture successstories petalconfetti wedding growing flowerfarm flowerpetalconfetti

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